The Complete History of the AR-15 Rifle | Small Wars Journal

The ArmaLite 15 is a classic assault rifle. You might know it better as an M-16, the U.S. Military’s version of the weapon. Today, we are going to take you through the history of this iconic American weapon, from its inception in 1959 to the present day.

A common misconception about the AR-15 is that “AR” stands for “assault rifle,” a phrase that stems from the German “Sturmgewehr” (“Storm” or “assault” rifle) used in World War II propaganda posters and later applied to military-style weapons. This shouldn’t be confused with the term “Assault Weapon,” a legal term for a specific class of illegal firearm during the years 1994 to 2004.